Religion, liberalism, and culture

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Saturday, April 5, 2003

Round up, week two.

More news stories about Unitarian Universalist reactions to war in Iraq: "Over lasagna, carrots and ice cream at a Unitarian Universalist Congregation dinner Wednesday evening" in Traverse City, Mich., members talked about the antiwar movement (Record-Eagle) . . . "With the war in Iraq polarizing people, expect protest songs aplenty at the upcoming Phil Ochs Song Night May 18 at Fort Lauderdale's Unitarian Universalist Church" (Miami Herald, last item) . . . "[P]rotesters will hold a civil disobedience workshop at noon Sunday at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Bangor [Maine]" (Kennebunk Journal) . . . "Iris Tate, a retired licensed practical nurse and member of the care team at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Tahlequah [Ok.]" attended a public meeting on ways to help people stressed out by war news (Daily Press) . . . "'If you choose to live a life of peace and cooperation, you’re going to live a life of leadership,' said Cory Booker, keynote speaker of the Youth Empowerment Against Violence conference held this Monday at the Unitarian Church of Montclair [N.J.]" (Montclair Times).

"I don't object to anyone's religion," Reeve said. "I'm a Unitarian myself. We're talking about the promise of science, the ethics of science, not religion."

A different policy question, to be sure, but this is a question worth pondering: When does an ethical question or a political question become a religious question? And why are so many Unitarian Universalists — who complain about the politics of the religious right — suddenly so eager to ask for attention to their religious opposition to war?